April 2015 - SAZ in the CellarSAZ in the Cellar

Cellarmasters provided a bottle of the 2011 Riversdale Estate Crater Chardonnay to review. This is an extremely well-awarded Chardonnay as have been the previous two vintages. The 2011 Riversdale Estate Crater Chardonnay is a single vineyard Tasmanian Chardonnay with a bold taste. The 2011 Riversdale Estate Crater Chardonnay surprised me in being far fruitier than I was expecting. Its aroma is of lemon and orange peel. The taste is very fruity and alive, with the citrus almost popping off your tongue. I also taste pineapple and grapefruit along with lemon and lime. It is crisp and clean on the tongue and the 2011 Riversdale Estate Crater Chardonnay has a nice, moderately long finish.

With the strong citrus flavors, you could easily mistake this wine for a Sauvignon Blanc, except the 2011 Riversdale Estate Crater Chardonnay is richer in texture and has a better mouthfeel. Yet, for my taste, the 2011 Riversdale Estate Crater Chardonnay is too crisp and fruity for a Chardonnay, but then, I drink most of my Chardonnays with some age on them and either sourced from Montrachet, or in Australia from Margaret River or the Hunter Valley. This is the first Chardonnay I have ever had from Tasmania. The 2011 Riversdale Estate Crater Chardonnay is a lovely drop and immediately drinkable, but different from what I was expecting. Now that it has warmed up a couple of degrees, I taste watermelon and papaya. If you like an abundance of citrus and exotic fruits, you will love the 2011 Riversdale Estate Crater Chardonnay.

I must apologize to Cellarmasters, as the 2011 Riversdale Estate Crater Chardonnay is out of stock, similar to the 2011 Krondorf Growers Barossa Shiraz that I reviewed earlier. I need to do my reviews as soon as receiving the wines. (Unfortunately, I was sick and waited until my palate was better.) But like the 2011 Krondorf Growers Barossa Shiraz which is out of stock, if you want another good Chardonnay, check out Cellarmasters fine selection of Chardonnays to find a suitable replacement. They do carry the 2012 Riversdale Estate Crater Chardonnay which should be just as good.

Steve Shipley, author Wine Sense, available now!
© 2014. Steve Shipley. All rights reserved.
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About one month ago, Cellarmasters sent me several wines to review. I have been extremely busy and am just getting around to reviewing the first wine this evening, which is the 2012 Krondorf Growers Barossa Shiraz. Fifteen years ago, I used to drink far more big Barossa Shiraz, but over the last decade have come to appreciate slightly less alcoholic content Shiraz and more from the Hunter Valley. I also tend to drink my Shiraz after it has been in the cellar for a decade or more. Yet immediately upon opening the 2012 Krondorf Growers Barossa Shiraz, I could tell it was going to be a great wine. The nose was full of refined fruit. It is not often I use the term ‘elegant’ when nosing a wine (even though I sometimes do when tasting it), but the 2012 Krondorf Growers Barossa Shiraz smells elegant. It immediately increased my desire to get this wine decanted as soon as possible and to drink it.

The 2012 Krondorf Growers Barossa Shiraz sits beautifully on the palate and has has a long and very pleasant finish. I love wines that not only taste good, but feel good on the palate and provide the extra enjoyment of finishing far after swallowing. And the 2012 Krondorf Growers Barossa Shiraz certainly provides that! I like the tactile feeling of a good wine as much or more than the flavor.

The color of the 2012 Krondorf Growers Barossa Shiraz is a vibrant red. The taste is of dark fruits / berries, plum and spice. As refined as this wine is, I would have had a hard time picking it as a Barossa Shiraz in a blind tasting.

For a young wine, the 2012 Krondorf Growers Barossa Shiraz is immediately drinkable. It will not cellar long (3 – 5 years?), but it does not have to as you can buy it and drink it immediately. This wine was such good value though, that Cellarmasters has already sold out of it. However, the next vintage should be outstanding also and you can still look for other great Shiraz that Cellarmasters still has in stock.

SAZ in the Cellar

Wine appreciation and enjoyment

Monthly Archives: April 2015

2011 Riversdale Estate Crater Chardonnay

2012 Krondorf Growers Barossa Shiraz